Improvement in corn-planters



, 4 Sheets-Mimik` L. ySC() FIELD. V Corn-Planter.

Patented Apr|13,1875.

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L IIN/vento?? 4 Sheets--Sheet 2.

L. SCUFIELD. Corn-Planter.

Patented Apri113,1875.

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4 Sheets--Sheet 3.

L. SCD FIEL D Gurn-Planter. y N, 162,106, PatemedApm13,1a75.

THE GRAPHIC COPHOTD ,-LI'I'HJIQ En PARK PLACE, NAY

L. SCFIELD.

Gurn-Planter.

Patented Apr|13,875.

Ivi/0 autor' UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica LEVI SOOFIELD, OF GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIG-HT TO JUSTIN B. VAIT, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Paent No. 162, [06, dated April I3, 1875; application tiled October 17, 1874.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI SGOFIELD, of' Grand Haven, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented certain Improvements in Corn-Planters 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exa-ct description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings thrilling part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a perspective view of a corn-pla-l'iter with my improvements. Fig. 2, Sheet l,isa top plan-view, showing the planter arranged for check-row planting. Fig. 3, SheetZ, isa top-plan view, showing it arranged for continuous operation as a drill. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a top-plan view ot' the runner-beam, with the hoppers and attendants seat removed to show the seed-plates and sliding bar. Fig.5, Sheet 2, is a sectional view, showing theineans for connectiu g the sliding har to the seed-conductors. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a perspective view ot' the sliding bar, showing the adj ustability of the brackets t'or operating the seed-conductors.

lFig. 7, Sheet 3, is a longitudinal section ot' the planter', taken in the line x x, Fig. 2, and looking toward the right-hand supportingwheel. Fig. 8, Sheet 3, is a perspective View oi' the seed-coiuluctors detached from the seedtube. Fig. 9,Sheet 3, is a perspective view of the detached seed-tube. Fig. l0, Sheet 3, is a perspective view ot` the devices for operatin g the drivin g-chain from one ot' the supportingwheels. Fig. 1l is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 12, Sheet 3, is a perspective view ot' the seed tube and conductor combined. Fig. 13, Sheet 4, is a perspective 'view ofthe cut-oft. Fig. 14, Sheet 4, is a top-plan View thereof. Fig. 15, Sheet 4, is a longitudinal section of the same, showing its interior construction. Fig. 16, Sheet 4, is a View of the cut-off inverted; and Fig. 17, Sheet 4, a longitudinal section taken in the line .r x, Fig. 2.

Similar letters ot' reference in the accom panying drawings denote the same parts.

My invention has for its object to simplify and perfect the construction and koperation ot corn-planters 5 and as the various improvements relate to separate and distinct parts of the machine, I will, for convenience, arrange the description of them in the proper order, and under appropriate headings.

The first part ot' my invention relates to the frame ot' the planter; and consists, first, in a compound coupling-joint for the runners and main trame, by which the planter is adapted to conform to uneven ground, and deposit the seed at a uniform depth therein; secondly, in the method of regulating' the depth at which the seed shall be planted, thirdly, in the arrangement ot the reach and spring, hy which the front ot the machine is connected with the axle, and the runners adapted to hear upon the ground with a yielding pressure; fourthly, in equaliziug the pressure ot' the spring, whether the runners are sett'or deep orshallow planting; tifthly, in a pivoted catch to engage automatically with the sliding reach when the runners are raised, for the purpose of holding them out ot' contact with the ground.

The second part ot' my invention relates to the seeding or dropping plates ot' the cornplanter; and it consists, iii-st, in the means employed for their operation; secondly, in the combination ot' stops with the slide-bar and chain, by which the seed-plates are rotated, for the purpose ot' registering the seed-chambers with the discharge-zmertures to the seedtubes; thirdly, in the employment ot' catches or brackets for operating the pivoted seedconductors from the chain and slide-har otA the seed-plates; fourthly, in adapting the catches for adjustment to compensate for diiierences in the castings, so that the several parts can be fitted together without diiliculty; and, iit'thly, in the construction of the cut-ott' and its connections.

The third part ot my invention relates to the devices for discharging the seed into the ground; and consists, iirst, in the construction of the seed-tube, which forms the shank ot' the runners or colters; secondly, in the coustruction ofthe seed-comluctor, pivoted within the open hack ot' the seed-tube; and, thirdly, in the combination ot the tube and conductor to torm an open drop, for the purpose ot' holding the seed in view ot' the attendant just prior to its discharge into the ground, and thereliy insuring a knowledge of the quantity planted in each hill or discharged from the tube.

I will now proceed to describe the first part of my invention with special reference to the accompanying drawings, in which A is the axle ot' the machine, composed ot' wood, and provided with wrouglit-iron skeins B, driven into their ends, to receive the supporting-wheels C. The ends oi' the wooden axle are strengthened by the metal bands D, and the squared portions next the ends are mortised to receive the two side bars E E, which are held therein by the staples or loops F. G is a rod passing through the rear ends of the side pieces to complete the main frame oi' the machine, and i'orm a support at its ends for the wheel-Scrapers H. It is constructed with shoulders between the side pieces, to prevent the latter from being moved inward or toward each other, and is also adapted to turn in its bearings, to operate the scrapers when the lever lis moved by the driver on the seat J. By this construction the main frame of the machine is greatly simplified, lightened, and cheapened, while its various parts are united in the strongest possible manner. The drivers seat is mounted upon a slotted bar, K, which is supported at or near its rear end by a bow or bent bar, L, connected to the side piece of the frame, and at its front end by a leg, M, aiiixed to the axle of the machine. The seat is attached to the slotted bar by means of a bolt and nut, so as to be moved back and forth for the purpose of adjusting the position of the driver to balance the machine. The front leg of the seat is connected to the axle of the machine by being stepped into a socket, N, bolted or screwed to the front side ot' the axle, and its upper end is held by a clamping-screw within a metal socket, O, affixed to the under side of the scat-bar. l) are the runners or colters, connected at their front ends by a cross-bar, Q, and at their rear ends by the seed-tubes lt and main beam S. The cross-bar and beam are strengthened and supported from each other by the curved brace T, and are connected centrally by the parallel hounds U, which carry the draft-pole ot' the machine between their forward ends. The runners and their attachments are connected tothe side ba-rs ot' the main frame by long links or eyebolts WT, pivoted to either side ot' the bars, some distance from the i'ront ends thereof, and, after passing through loops X on the iront oi' the bars, are jointed to the back ot' the main beam by staples or short eyebolts Y. This arrangement forms a compound coupliiig-joint, by which the runners and seeding devices are permitted to rise and fall through the vertical movements ot' the long eyebolts within the loops X, and to turn or swing freely by the connection ot' the eyebolts with the beani-staples. The joint thus formed prevents the parts from being cramped o strained, and enables the runners to coni'orm readily to inequalities in the surt'ace oi' the ground, and consequently insures the planting ot' the seed ata unil'orni depth. Z are levers hung upon the ends ot' a bar, A, which is adapted t'or adjustment upon the t'ront seat-leg. Their' r` ai' lou er ends are provided with a toot-bar, 1, and their i'orwaid cnds arc pivoted to the hounds by short bars C1. When it is desired to raise the runners wholly or partially out of the ground the driver presses down the bar B1 with his feet, lifting the hounds, and with them the runners and seeding devices. Upon releasing the levers the runners drop down again by their own gravity. The depth at which the runners shall operate is determined by adjusting the pivot-bar A upon the seatleg. The runners are further connected to the rear portion or frame of the planter by a rod, D', pivoted at its lower end between the hounds, and arranged to slide upon the front seat-leg between an adjustable collar, El, and a coiled spring, B2, above the pivot-bar A.

When the planter is in operation the upper end ofthe reach rests upon the coiled spring, and therefore causes the runners to heal-upon the ground with a yielding pressure. The sudden shocks to which the machine is subjected in passing over the ground are taken up by this spring, in order to prevent injury to the seeding mechanism.

It will be observed that when the liftinglevers are adjusted on the seat-leg to raise or lower the runners the same relative distance is preserved between the upper end ot' the reach and the pivot-bar A. This arrangement insures uniformity in the action Ot' the spring, whether the runners are set i'or deep or shallow planting. F is an adjustable footbar on the reach-rod, by which the driver is enabled to press down the runners with his whole weight in passing over hard or very uneven ground. The adjustability ot' the t'ootbar also adapts it for use to suit drivers ot' ditterent stature. G is a catch pivoted to the adjustable collar E1, so that when the runners are raised out ot' the ground by pressure upon the foot-bar B1 it shall automatically engage with the reach-rod and hold the runners in an elevated position. To release the runners, it is only necessary to depress their foot-levers and swing back the catch by hand. The seedplates H, to which the second part oi" my in vention relates, are pivoted upon the plates l at the ends of the runner-beam, and covered by the hoppers J1. The plates are provided with a number ot' teeth to enter the open links ot' a chain, KI, by which such plates are connected. L1 is a bar adapted to slide longitudinally upon the rnniier-beam within guides M M, and provided with two lateral arms, N N', extending under the chain to support it in a horizontal position. The ends ot' the arms are inclined upward in opposite directions to i'orni catches O2, ior engaging the chain-links, and are further formed with guards 01 O1, to prevent the chain t'rom slipping laterally. l is a seat supported upon the hounds ot' the planter, immediately over the runner-beam and chain, and provided with an opening, Q, at each end, through one ot which a pointed bar or hand-lever, itl, is placed to enter an opening or recess in the top of the bar L1, as shown.

An attendant occupying' this seat, by movyot' the seed beneath i t.

ing the bar Ll to and frothe openings O1 being large enough to permit this movementcauses the bar L1 to reciprocate upon the runner-beam, and the catches O2 to bear alternately against the ends ofthe open links upon the lower side of the chain.

rlhis operation imparts an intermittentmoveinent to the chain in one direction, and, consequently, an intermittent rotation to the seedplates. While the catch upon one side is moving the chain, the depressed portion ofthe opposite catch causes the latter to pass freely under the links of the chain without moving them. By this arrangement the seed-plates are moved the distance oi' one opening at each movement ofthe chain, to discharge the seed into the seed-tubes. S' b" are stops attached to or formed upon the ends of the sliding bar L1. As the sliding bar is operated to move the chain these stops are alternately thrown within the path of the seed-plates, where they come in contact with the teeth thereof, and prevent the momentum of the plates from carrying their seed-chambers past the dischargeapertures in the base-plates I.' T' T' are notched brackets for communicating motion from the sliding bar tothe seed-conductors U', which are pivoted to the backs ot' the seedtubes lt. These brackets are adapted for adjustment on the sliding` bar by means of slots and set-screws W', for thev purpose of compensating for any variations in the castings forming the diiierent parts ot' the seeding devices, and thereby facilitating the itting ot' parts together in setting up ot' the machine.

The metal plates X', to which the hoppers are secured, are each formed with a large circular opening in the center, surrounded on the under side ofthe plate by a projecting iiange, Y', which rests upon the seed-plate beneath with close contact. A bar, Z', extends diametrically across the opening, to form a support for the seed cut-off. lts center is enlarged somewhat, and, together' with the arm b2, bears upon the seed-plate, while the opposite arm c2 is curved upward for the passage To this central support is screwed a plate, d2, formed with an inverted cup, c2, at one end, which rests upon the arm c2 ofthe bar, and within this cup the curved cut-off f2 is pivoted by means of the trunnions g2, so that its longest arm shall pro- `ject laterally outward and downward over one of the chambers in the seed-plates, as shown. A spring, h2, held within the cup` by the pins i2, bears up the short arm of the cut-oft, and, consequently, presses its long arm down upon the seed-plate with a yielding pressure, so that while it acts as a cut-ott for the corn in the chambers otl the seed-plate, it shall yield somewhat to prevent the seed from being broken or crushed as the plate is rotated. To prevent the plate d2 from turning, one side is notched slightly, to receive an upward projection, jz, on its supporting-plate, as shown in Fig. 14. The metal plates X' and the plates I' are open upon opposite sides for the passage of the chain, and to expose the edges ofthe seedplates and chain, for the purpose of observing their operation and facilitating repairs, changes, &c.

The devices for discharging the seed into the ground, and which constitute the third part of my invention, are the pivoted seed-conductor U', already referred to, and the seed-tube R. The latter is formed by a dat plate, K2, secured to and constituting the back of the runner-shank, and bent inward at its lower end, so as to form two curved side wings, L', eX- tending upward about one-halt' the length ot' the shank. The lower ends of these wings are squared and united to the runners, so as to form the open-backed base or foot m2 of the tubes, as shown. The seed-conductors are each constructed with an open face, which is divided into two longitudinal chambers, n2, by the central rib 02, which, at the foot, projects beyond the sides a2 of the conductor, and divides its triangular or diamond shaped foot into two compartments, q2, which I designate as the lower drop. The conductors are pivoted to the seed tubes or plates, as shown at R2, with the parallel channels next the winged plates, and with the angular base between the widest portion of the wings.

When the machine is in operation the sliding bar L1 oscillates the seed-conductors upon their pivots, in conformity with the rotation ofthe seed-plates, so that the seed-channels in each conductor shall alternately receive the seed and conduct it to the ground. The beveled edges of theA lower drop are alternately thrown against the side wings of the seedtube, and therefore hold the seed-compartments g2 in plain view of the driver a sulficient length ot' time to enable him to see their contents, and determine the quantity of seed planted in each hill or drill.

The position ofthe seed-conductors in holding the seed in view on one side the seed-tube produces a large opening upon the opposite sidethat is to say, an opening formed by the unoccupied compartment q2 and the adjoining side wing, which et't'ectually prevents the accumulation o' dirt to stop or otherwise ai't'ect the operation of dropping devices. The curved side wings also serve to exclude the dirt from the conductor and seed-tube, as will be readily seen.

For operating the machine as a drill the drivin g-chain is increased in length by the interposition of several additional feet, and passed around a toothed driving-plate, K3, arranged to be driven by suitable gearing C3 E3 from one ofthe main supporting-wheels. The sliding bar Ll is locked to the axle, so that the seed-conductors shall not be operated to drop the seed intermittingly, while the chain is guided by grooved pulleys J3, mounted upon the end ot' a thin metal bar, F3.

These devices are shown, but I do not claim them herein, as they form the subjectr of a separate application for Letters Patent.

The quantity of seed to be planted is regulated by chan gin gthe seed-plates, as described in my patent of November 21, 1871.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. rI'he compound coupling for connecting the runners and their attachments to the main frame of the machine, consisting of the long eyebolts 1V, jointed to the runner-beam, and pivoted to the inner faces of the side bars E, after passing through the guide-loops X thereon, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

2. The lifting-levers Z, combined with the front seat-leg by means ot an adjustable pivot-bar, to regulate the depth at which the seed shall be planted, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

3. The spring' B2, supported upon the front seat-leg by the adjustable pivot-bar of the lifting-levers, for the purpose of insuring` a uniform action of the spring when the runners are set for either deep or shallow planting, substantially as described.

fl. The adjustable foot-bar F', in combination with the reach-rod, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

5. The combination of the adjustable liftinglevers and spring with the front seat-leg, the hounds, and the reach-rod, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

6. The combination of the adjustable liftinglevers and pivot-bar, arranged to raise the runners of the machine, and the adjustable footbar and reach-rod, arranged to press them down upon the ground, substantially as described.

7. The arrangement of the adjustable pivoted catch G' on the seat-leg, for automatically engaging with the sliding reach-rod, to hold the runners out of contact with the ground, substantially as described.

S. The sliding bar and the endless chain, combined with the toothed seed-plates of a corn-planter, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

9. The sliding bar, the stops S', and the endless chain, combined with the toothed seedplates of a corn-planter, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

, 10. The sliding bar, the endless chain, and the brackets T', combined with the toothed seed-plates and pivoted seed-conductors, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

1l. The notched brackets T', adapted for adjustment upon the sliding bar, to compensate for variations in the castings and facilitate their fitting together, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the sliding bar, the adjustable brackets, and the stops with the seed-plates, the endless chain, and the seedconductors, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

13. The spring cut-off', consisting ofthe bar Z' and plate d2, screwed or bolted together within the hopper, with the pivoted springplate f2 between them, the bar Z' being formed With an enlarged center, a fiat arm, b2, and a curved arm, c2, and the plate d2 being formed With an inverted cup to receive the spring of the plate f2, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

14. The metal plates I' and X', constructed and arranged together so as to form openings on opposite sides under the bot-tom plate of the hopper for the passage of the chain, substantially as specified.

15. The open-backed seed-tube R, formed by the runner-Shanks, the runners, and the back plates, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

16. The back plates K2, constructed with the curved side wings L2, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

17. 'lhe vibratory seed-conductor constructed With the double parallel channels and the lower compartments or holding-chambers q2, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

1S. The seed-conductor combined with the seed-tube and its side wings, to form the open lower drop, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

LEVI SGOFIELD.

Witnesses:

B. F. UUR'rIss, S. R. VAN DUZER. 

